The Dark Tide
by Darth Odin
Summary: Two years after the defeat of the firelord Aang is finally beginning to see the peace he sought for. But when an ancient evil that dates back to the first Avatar awakens he and his friends are thrust into a conflict that will test them like never before.


This is my first story on fanfiction so bear with me if it seems alittle awkward. Anywho this takes place two years after the official end of the series. I should give a bit of warning that it will not follow canon 100% but nothing to drastic I promise.

**Disclaimer:** I really don't think this is necessary since its fairly obvious I don't own jack, but i'll do it anyway so I don't get in trouble. I don't not own Avatar: the last Airbender or any of its characters, just borrowing them for a while.

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The Dark Tide

**Chapter 1**

The full moon held high in the south arctic air, its gentle glow bathed the frost covered tundra in an ethereal glow. As far as the eye could see the land was perfect sheet of ice and snow. The only blemish on the snows surface was a small campfire, and the band of explores huddled around it. Their merry voices filled the air as they traded stories of past exploits. A large elderly man sitting at the front of the group cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. He was dressed in typical water tribe attire, his ragged beard offset his steeled, but compassionate eyes. To many he was simply know as the Boss, even during the war all of the soldiers under him referred to him as such. Many didn't even know his real name. When he spoke, his voice was soft but it still carried a tone that demanded respect.

"Now I bet you're all wondering why we're all sitting out here like this" he began his tone light. A unanimous nod from the group prompted him to continue. "Well" he leaned in closer to make sure he was heard. Legend has it that there was once a thriving civilization here thousands of years ago. The capitol of this nation, was told to be a place of unimaginable beauty, and stored within were riches and treasures unlike anything you've ever seen. The story goes that one day the city just vanished into the tundra, taking all of its secrets with it. "There have been stories of an ancient water tribe capitol that lies hidden out in these plains. It also been said that there great amount of treasure and artifacts are hidden there a well."

The others began to converse in excited tones when one of the older men voiced his concerns.

"Wait isn't this the same city that the water tribe, has been looking for generations, and yet no one has even found any proof that it even exists." He paused for a moment to brush the snow of his tan earth kingdom shirt. "What makes you so sure that that the place even exists and even if it does what makes you think we'll find it?"

The eldery man chuckled "Oh I'm sure that it exists, as for proof…" He paused and pulled out a small necklace, which he held up high in front of the group. A small crystal dangled from the end of the chain. "This was found by me and my companions a few years ago during the war." His face visible darkened at the mention of the war. "We found this right after one of the many raids on the southern water tribe; I'm sure most of you remember those." Many people in the group looked down as memories of those terrible raids that claimed the lives of so many people came to the surface.

"Well after the raid a few soldiers and I were pursuing a few of the remaining fire nation stragglers out on the plains. We chased them for lord knows long, but we finally caught them. Weary and tired we began to make our way back towards the village. However before we left one of our comrades noticed something strange on the horizon. Naturally we moved in for a closer look and found a structure unlike anything we had ever seen before. Surely it must have been a ruin from the lost city. You can only imagine how we all felt, after generations of searching we finally had found concrete evidence that the lost city exists. " He held the necklace up higher so that everyone could see it. "This was a piece of that ruin. were on our way back to the village when we happened to stumble upon this ancient ruin. The ruin was unlike anything we had ever seen before, like something completely foreign to any country out there" He held the necklace higher so that the others could see the piece of crystal hanging on the end. "This was a piece of that ruin" he sat back into a more comfortable position.

"Now we knew that we couldn't very well just go and search for anything right in the middle of a war so we all made a vow. If the any of us survived this war we would search for this lost city, and each took a piece of it with us as a reminder of that pact. However, now at the end of the war I find I'm the only one left, and I felt obligated to honor my fallen comrades by embarking on this journey." He went silent for a moment before continuing in a soft voice "Now I know that this may just seem like a tired old man chasing after some dream, and I know there very well may be nothing else but what we found, but I have to believe that it's real, and out there" The others remained silent trying to process all he had just said, before he spoke again "Now I know this may not be what you all signed on for, if any of you want to back out I won't force you to follow the wishes old man chasing after a dream, and I'm sorry that I dragged you all into this. If you feel you want out I won't hold it against any of you.

There was a long silence between them until an earthbender spoke up "Well hell boss if I was going to leave, I would have left ages ago, I'm in." The man sitting next to him dressed in similar water tribe garments as the elder man seconded him. Another member a young man with messy brown hair and light grey eyes grabbed a similar necklace to the old mans that hung around his neck. "Yeah, I'm in this for sure"

The old man looked around and smiled "Thank you guys you have no idea how much this means to me" He paused to glance at the young man who smiled as well and nodded in understanding. "Well now that everything is settled of to bed all of you, we got an early start tomorrow. Everyone rose from their places, and moved back to their respective tents, laughing about treasure all the way. The young man remained behind after all had left taking solace in the moon's comforting glow. He found himself staring at the full moon, captivated by its beauty. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that he was a waterbender, but he always had a sense of comfort when watching the moon. He absentmindedly wrapped his hand around the necklace, he was wearing, nearly identical to the one the old man had. "This is what you wanted, right dad?" he said as he looked up at the stars. He spent the next few moment in silence just watching the stars, before deciding to turn in as well. He stood up and brushed some snow of his jacket before a ghostly voice rang out.

"Come"

The young man whirled around at the sound of the voice surprised. He listened to see if it called out again, but was only met by silence. He chuckled nervously and ran a hand through his hair "Damn ghost stories, got me all jumpy" He turned back to his tent when the voice called out to him again.

"Come" The voice was distant almost at the edge of his hearing, but it was distinct enough not to mistake it for something else.

He spun around again "Whose there?" he called out into the darkness. Once again only silence greeted him. Growing more anxious by the second he quickly worked his way into his tent, and shut the flap. Lying down in is sleeping bag, he thought about that strange voice.

"It could have just been the wind" he thought to himself "Yeah, it must have just been the wind, those stories are just getting to me that's all" Assuring himself that was the case he drifted off to sleep.

Almost as quickly as he had fallen asleep, a bright light forced him to open his eyes again. He found himself standing on a vast snowy plain. The sun was high in the sky, its light harshly reflecting of the Tundarian plain.

"What the…?" he said as he looked around him. "Where am I?" He looked to find the others, but neither them or the camp was in sight. "Hello is any one there?" he called out. His voice echoed across the frost capped plains, but went unanswered. He was about to call again when the mysterious voice answered him.

"Come to me" the voice echoed in his head

The boy was surprised by the request "where are you?" he called out. Suddenly there was a brilliant flash of light forcing him to shield his eyes. When he opened his eyes again he found himself standing in the center of a large city. Massive buildings that stretched into the sky all around him blocking out the sun. The cities architecture was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Glancing down at his feet he noticed a strange emblem emblazoned on the ground. On the right side was a white dragon that snaked itself around the side, its head near the center. A stream of white fire billowed from its mouth. On the left side perfectly symmetrical to the first one was a black dragon; with a wave of black fire spewing form its mouth. The two flames converged in the center, where they wrapped around a large crystal. The crystal was perfectly rounded and placed directly in the center of the two flames. But the thing that was most unusual about was its color. The color inside the crystal seemed to violently swirl around, changing between red, gold, blue, and a clear diamond color. He ran his hand across the crystals smooth surface, and surprisingly the crystal was warm almost electric to the touch. It also sent a slight tingling sensation running up the length of his arm. He noticed now there was more markings along the outer rim of the dial. Four crescent moons were along the rim, each facing a different direction. At the very top of the dial was a black sun segmented into four pieces. He ran his hand along the sun and noticed how smooth and cold it was. However it still produced the same tingling sensation the crystal in the center had. As he removed his hand the voice called out to him again this time much louder.

"Come to me"

He was about to respond when another wave of blinding light engulfed him. When he finally regained his vision he found himself standing in a dimly lit underground cavern. A magnificent temple loomed ahead of him, but a sinister presence seemed to emanate form core of the structure. The ceiling was high and domed shaped, almost like it was manmade. Somewhat reluctantly he ascended the temple's large steps, all the while glancing at the various statues that lined the path. The statues were human shaped but had large wings on their backs. At the to he saw more statues these much more detailed than the one lining the stairs. All leading to a massive stone door. On the ground leading up to the door was an incredibly detailed black dragon that spanned much of the walkway. He took special notice of the dragon's distinct red eyes on his way to the door. A final statue stood above the doorway, but it was very different for the one's he had seen thus far. The wings were spread wide, and were the darkest black in color. It's arms were spread out as well, and gripped in it's right hand was a long sword. The amour it wore was tinged almost as black as the wings on it's back. He broke his gaze away from the statue and looked once more at the large stone door in front of him. On the door were several ancient markings, none of which he could recognize. In the center of the door there was a rather complex looking symbol, with several small ones around it As he approached the symbol pulsed to life, and lit up. "I wonder what would happen if I, did this." He placed his hand in the relief, which fit snugly into the groove. As soon as his hand touched the wall, the relief suddenly burst into a brilliant light. He tried to snatch his hand back, but found that it was stuck to the wall. The light grew in intensity, before a deafening roar, echoed across the cavern.

He shot up in his bed with a yell, his entire body drenched in a cold sweet. "It was all just a dream?" He flexed his hand in front of him, the cool feeling of the wall still on his hand. "It felt so real though" Movement outside told him that the others were already awake. Wasting no time he threw of his sheets and went outside. He spotted most of the group huddled around a fire that had a small pot boiling over it. Boss looked and greeted him with a smile

"We'll about time you woke up, breakfast is ready but, you'll have to get all you're your stuff ready to go before you can get any."

Aldrin nodded and began to go back to his tent when Boss called him again.

"By the way you might want to hurry; I can't guarantee you'll get any if you drag your feet."

Hearing this he bolted back to his tent, and cleared his spot in record time. Within seconds all his supplies were tightly and ready to go. Boss looked up with a smile as Aldrin came over to the group and grabbed a plate.

"Forty-seconds not bad" he said. Aldrin simply smiled and dished up his plate. As they sat and ate Aldrin remained silent thinking about his dream, and that voice. Boss seemed to notice his young friend's silence.

"What's wrong Aldrin, it's not like you to be this quiet." Aldrin was snapped from his thoughts and looked up to see everyone staring at him.

"Oh, sorry, I was just thinking that's all" he replied truthfully "Anyway what do we have planned for today?" The old man leaned back and looked out on the plains.

"Hmm, well we were planning on heading southwest from here; rumor has it that the city was somewhere, around this area." He said. The man next to him, his good friend and second in command scoffed.

"I personally would like to know where you hear all these rumors. I've lived in the southern tribe all my life and I've never heard anything like the stuff you pull out." Boss didn't look angry at his friends bluntness, in fact he looked amused.

"When you've been around long as I have you pick up quite a few things, and correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't my information always spot on" he finished with a smile. The man matched him with a smirk.

"Heh, you got that right, otherwise I would have thought you'd gone senile" Boss laughed.

"Well we better get moving we got a lot of ground to cover before sunset." The group packed up camp, and within minutes the group stood ready to embark. Aldrin stood up and fixed a finely carved katana on his waist.

"Hey Aldrin I've heard you're pretty good with that thing" one of the explorers said walking up. Aldrin smiled and placed his hand on the hilt.

"I'm not bad, but I'm nowhere near the level Boss is at he taught me everything I know." he replied looking at their leader. Despite his outwards appearance Boss was a very skilled and deadly swordsman. His skill was said to be on par with the legendary fire nation swordsman Piandao. Despite having no bending abilities of his own, he was more than a match for even the most talented benders.

Alright lets get ready to go" Boss's voice called out. The small band of travelers rose from there spots brushing the excess snow from there clothes, and soon the were moving out. For most of the day the traveled trading small stories, leaving small markers to mark a path back toward civilization as the went. About midday the second command fell back with Boss. For awhile It remained silent between the two, the only sound coming from the snow crunching under their feet.

"Y'know I still half think you've gone mad" he finally said light heartedly. Boss simply chuckled.

"They say that even the brightest minds, were once considered mad by those around them" he countered. His friend chuckled lightly before his faced turned serious.

"In all honesty, how much of a chance do you think we have" Boss looked up deep in thought.

"In truth not much, I'd give it about a twenty percent chance and that's being very generous. However whether or not we actually find it, is irrelevant to me. My fallen companions wished to embark on this journey so I made this trip in their memory." he gave a short sigh "But this trip is just as much for Aldrin as it is for me" His second in command looked surprised.

"The kid?" he said glancing up to the front where Aldrin was laughing with a few other group members. Boss only nodded.

"You noticed he has the same kind of necklace that I had right." he waited for him to nod before continuing. "That necklace belonged to his father, he was with the group that found the ruin." His partner nodded in understanding.

"I had known both of the boys parents very well, they were both incredible individuals. I had known his father since he was a small boy, I watched him grow up y'know, he was almost like a son to me. Even when he was young he was a heck of a fighter always getting in scrapes with the other boys. Yet when he wasn't out getting into trouble or goofing off, he would read just about anything he could get his hands on. I always said he be better of as a scholar rather than a warrior." His partner noticed a fond smile creep onto the old man's face as he told the story "He would always prattle on about some legend or another he picked somewhere. In fact he was the one who believed that ruin we found had some connection to this lost city."

His partner smiled as he listened to him happily retell his story. The was one of the few times he saw the old man genuinely happy these days.

"He must have been very close to you then" he said with a smile.

"Yeah, he was something else, he was chosen to the successor of the southern sword style. He may have even" he paused for a second "No I know he surpassed both as a warrior and as person. But the most unique thing about him was that even after experiencing all the horrors of war, he had the most carefree attitude. He just wasn't the type of guy to let stuff get to him. A trait he seemed to pass on to his son." he added. "Now the boy's mother, she was something else. The total opposite, and perhaps the only person able to keep that man in line." The old man laughed to himself " She was a bit of a hot head that one, had no problem speaking her mind or telling someone off for that matter. She was a pretty talented water bender in her own right as well, and was not above "knocking some sense" into anybody that got on her bad side. She may have been a little wild, but deep down she truly cared for those close to her." His smile faltered and the faraway look reappeared on his face.

"That war unfortunately claimed both of their lives. His father was killed during a surprise attack, on our group. One of our own betrayed us to the fire nation. We were simply unprepared for an attack so soon after one of our raids. We all would have died if he didn't hold them off long enough for us to get to our boats to retreat . He stayed behind while the rest of us carted the wounded, to the ship. I wanted to stay and help him, but he insisted he would take them on alone, so I could help the other make to the ship safely." The old man's shoulders slumped and a few tears formed in his eyes.

"I should have never left him alone, I should have done more to help him, instead of leaving him to die alone." He said remorsefully. His partner placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"He did what he felt was right, no matter what you said would not have changed his mind." The old man looked at him with a small smile.

"Thanks for that, but I can't shake the feeling that if I had stayed with him he would still be alive today. Aldrin was very close to his father so he took the news very hard. Things only became worse for him when two years later his mother died during one of the raids. She was the type of person was uncomfortable sitting at home while her loved ones fought in the war. I imagine she would have fought herself if she didn't have to take care of Aldrin. She gave her life protecting the villagers from the fire nation. After his parents death Aldrin bore a deep hatred for the fire nation, devoting his entire life to destroying them. He completely focused on training his skills, quickly growing into a powerful warrior." He looked up to where Aldrin was joking with a few of the younger group members.

"You would never have guessed it but during the war he was well known for being a ruthless warrior, he rarely showed any emotion other than anger. Honestly I was quite worried he was becoming a little obsessed with revenge. " he began.

"However about half way during his campaign he suddenly changed, it was almost as if over night he seemed to adopt his fathers carefree outlook on life. I was never sure what exactly caused him to change, but as long as he was happy I didn't push it." He was silently for a moment before a look of realization dawned on his face.

" I'm sorry, you asked me a simple question, and launched into a full story" he apologized. His partner shook his head.

"It's not a problem at all" he said with a smile "I was glad to listen to it" The old smiled and looked at the group.

"Well we better catch up with the others, it would look pretty bad if the leaders got lost" he added with a small smile. His partner smirked back.

"Sure, but since where the leaders, wouldn't it be them who got separated from us." The old man laughed. "I suppose so" they picked up the pace rejoining the group.

For the next few days they traveled across the plains. They had crossed the ruins that Boss had mention about a day ago which helped lend some credibility to some of the more skeptical people in the group. But after that there was no evidence there was anything else out here.

Aldrin laughed with his friends at the front of the group. Yet as much as he wanted not to he found his mind drifting back to that voice and his dream. He had had the same dream every night ever since the started out and frankly it was starting to bug him.

"Just what was that anyway?" he thought to himself. Shaking his head he pushed the thought to the back of his mind, there was no point in stressing himself over this. For the next few hours they traveled, making stops every once in a while to rest. When they had first started out the snow capped plains were a comforting sight, but after a few days Aldrin was rapidly growing tired of it. In every direction no matter how far you looked all that could be seen was a field of white. While Aldrin remained relatively quite with his irritation. One of his friends was less subtle.

"This is going to drive me crazy!" he exclaimed "just look around, nothing but ice and snow as far as you can see. There's no way a city can be out here in this forsaken place!" Boss looked slightly annoyed.

"Have patience, no one said it would be easy, besides it is only been a few days." he said diplomatically. The young man only huffed.

"Well I for would like to see some kind result, instead of this straight white field. I swear if-" his sentence was cut short as his foot caught something in the snow sending, him sprawling to the ground.

"What kind of idiot leaves a…" the word died in his throat. "What is that." Aldrin laughed.

"How's that for results." he laughed helping his friend of the ground. Looking down again he cleared the snow out of the way to see what it was he had tripped over. With the snow out of the way, he found staring at a small stone dial.

"What the?"

The others began to crowd around to see what they had uncovered. Aldrin had to work his way through the group to get to Boss and the others.

"Let me see what it is…" No sooner than the words left his mouth the, remaining breath caught in his throat, and all the color drained from face. There on the ground was the exact same symbol he had seen in his dream. The majority of it was hidden under the snow but there was no mistaking it. He stumbled back in a daze, knocking into a few others around him. Boss looked at him startled.

"Aldrin what's wrong?" Aldrin managed to school his features rather quickly, but Boss noticed the clearly bewildered look in his eyes.

"Nothing, just a little surprised that's all" Boss gazed at him with a skeptical eye, before turning back toward the symbol. Aldrin was about to say something, when an incredible pain shot through his head. With a soft grunt he sunk to his knees, gripping his head. Boss whirled around at the sound.

"Aldrin what's wrong?" he asked slightly panicked. He bent down to his level, and stared into his face. His eyes were wide and his entire face glistened with sweat. In Aldrin's mind a unbearable loud piercing wail threatened to split his head in two. He gripped his head tighter and shook his head trying to dispel the pain. The others rushed to his side.

"What's wrong with him?" they asked. Boss merely shook his head, his hand resting on the trembling boys shoulder. Aldrin had to grit his teeth to prevent from screaming. From deep with in the wail. The same ghostly vice rose.

"Come…..come….come….come" With each repetition the voice grew louder, faster, more aggressive. "Come…come.. come, come, come!" Finally with a feral scream, he yelled

"Stooooop!"

With that he struck the ground, his water bending involuntary blasting all the snow and ice around him away in a violent maelstrom. Boss and the others found themselves being swept away in the cascading waves if snow and ice. When the snow finally settled, The dial was fully uncovered, both Dragons were revealed, the flames colliding just like they had in his dream. The only difference was that the crystal in the center was now a dull grey, instead of the swirling mass colors he had seen before. When Boss finally managed to pull himself out of the snow, his face nothing short of livid.

"Aldrin! What in the world is wrong with you. You could have…" the anger in voice faded away as his gaze feel on the fully revealed symbol. He took a few wobbling steps forward never taking his eyes off the picture. Then much to Aldrin's surprise he began to laugh.

"This is it! This defiantly shows that where on the right track" Aldrin still trying to stave of the effect of his attack, shot him a weak smile. Slowly the others managed to pull themselves up, each with an equal look of awe at the new discovery. Aldrin climbed to his feat and shuffled away from the group. His head was still pounding and all the noise, wasn't helping. He sat down on the edge of the stone as far away from the group, and that engraving as possible. His mind was a jumble of thought, nothing seemed to make sense anymore. The dream, the picture, they all seemed so strange to him, it was if something or someone was guiding him, but he hadn't the faintest idea what or why.

After the initial fervor died down, Boss made his way over to Aldrin. For awhile he simply stood beside him staring out across the plains.

"Care to tell me what's been bothering you?" he finally asked still staring out. Aldrin glanced up at him, as if studying him, before looking back out.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Hell I'm not even sure I believe it" he said with a slight chuckle. The old man glanced down at him with a slightly amused look on his face.

"Try me"

Aldrin sighed and turned his attention to the small group clustered near the center of the stone.

"This isn't the first time I've seen that symbol" he said motioning toward the center.

"What do you mean?" Boss asked turning his full attention to Aldrin.

"I saw it once before. In my dream last night"

"Your dream?"

"Yeah, well I'm not so sure it was a dream anymore." he shifted uncomfortably but continued. "The first night we were out here I stayed out a little longer after everyone went to bed, y'know just kind of stargazing like I usually do. Anyway just before I was about to turn in I heard this voice. At first I thought it was just the wind or something, but then it came back again louder than before. I called out to see if anyone was there, but no one answered me"

Outside Aldrin looked calm but Boss had known the boy long enough to tell he was nervous. To anyone that knew him that in of itself was unsettling. Still he remained quiet as Aldrin spoke.

"Well after that I went back into my tent, thinking it had to be some coincidence. Not long after that I feel asleep, the strange thing is as soon as I closed my eyes, I found myself standing out in the tundra again, except no one was there. Then I heard that voice again, there was a flash and then I saw it."

"That symbol" boss said in understanding

"I wasn't sure before, but now I know for a fact that voice lead me here." Boss glanced down at him.

"What makes you say that?" he asked

"Just before I uncovered that symbol, their was this piercing wail, in my ears. The voice was with it, growing louder and louder, until I felt my head going to explode." Boss nodded.

"So that explains your little episode back there" he said motioning towards the center."

"Yeah" They lapsed back into silence for awhile, before Boss spoke again.

"So what do you want to do?" turning his full gaze back toward the boy. Aldrin was silent a few moments longer, before he looked up.

"Lets continue, I want see where this voice is leading me" Boss smiled as he saw the fire in the boys eyes he was used to.

"Well then, lets get back to the others" he said offering his hand to Aldrin. He took it and pulled himself to his feet.

"Thanks, sorry for worrying you" Boss smiled and placed his hand his shoulder.

Don't worry bout it, just glad you got your head back on straight." Aldrin smiled at him, and the two made it back to the group. Everyone else was still clamored around the engraving, paying almost no attention to them as they walked up. Despite his declaration he Aldrin found himself hanging back, from the center. Eventually he summed up the courage to approach the engraving. The dream came rushing back to him in vivid clarity. The symbol looked dead, the crystal lie dormant. He was about to turn away when he noticed something the strange, the black sun at the top was missing. Looking back to the corners he noticed that the crescent moons were gone as well. Upon closer inspection he noticed a small sliver of black, where one of the moons was.

"That's strange" he thought to himself. Getting down on his knee's he noticed that the moon was in fact under the stone slab. His hand ran across a small depression, with a little pressure, the spot pushed inwards with a loud click. Turning the spot to the left caused the moon to shift from under the slab before locking into place with an audible snap. Near the top another distinct click was heard. When he went to see what it was he saw surprised to see a section of the black sun revealed.

"I see"

Looking around he saw all the spots were designed the same and he set to work, aligning them.

"What are you doing Aldrin?" Boss asked

"I think I figured out what we need to do." he replied, as he set the last moon in place. The was another loud click as the sun at the top was completed and the symbol in the center flashed for a brief moment before going dark again. By now the entire group was focused on Aldrin as he approached the center. As he came closer he couldn't help but notice the strange aura of energy that now seemed to hover around the symbol. Kneeling in closer for a better look he could feel a wave of heat seemingly radiating from the center. Tentatively he removed his glove and placed his hand on the stones smooth surface, almost instantly the same tingling jolt of electricity raced up his arm.

At first that seemed like that that was it, but just as he was about to remove his hand the ground began to shake It started out as a small tremor but rapidly progressed to a massive quake, easily throwing the men off there feet. The symbol in the center began to glow as the quakes intensified slowly flashing between the four colors. Slowly it began to spin, gradually increasing in speed until the colors had melded into an unintelligible blur. As It spun the light began to seep into the flames surrounding it on either side, encroaching ever closer to the opposing dragons. Aldrin could only watch in fascination as the light spread across the stone flames, and when the light finally meet the two opposing forces the two dragons seemingly sprung to life. Their once cold stone eyes were filled with frenzied fire as they moved around wildly in their sockets before coming to a rest on the young water bender. Aldrin's entire body froze in fear as their intense gaze bore into him seemingly piercing to the deepest reaches of his soul. Their eyes remained locked for a moment before a intense roar ripped through the air. Steams of light erupted from the two beast snaking their way along the groves of the dial before disappearing off the side. Then as quickly as it had started the tremors stopped.

The group slowly pulled them selves to their feet and stared at the now glowing dial. The crystal Aldrin noticed was now back to the same swirling pattern he had seen in his dream.

"What the heck was tha…" one of the men began before the ground began rumbling again nearly twice as powerful as before. The sheets of ice around them began to splinter and crack forcing the small group to scramble onto the dial for safety.

Then much to everyone's surprise a massive figure burst from the ice, a maelstrom of snow and wind accompanying it as it rose into the heavens. All around them similar figures burst from the ground their massive figures eclipsing the sun as the rose into the sky. When the rumbling finally stopped what they saw took their breath away. They were standing in the middle of a massive intersection, the giant monuments that had burst from the snow were actually towering buildings.

"The lost city" Boss murmured in awe "we finally found it." The others simply remained in stunned silence. For Aldrin however he was somewhat apprehensive, he had somewhat expected something like this to happed with the way things had been going recently. Still suspecting something and actually having it happen was still unsettling no matter how much preparation he had. He glanced down at the stone symbol by his feet , but now it looked like regular stone.

" I know it moved, I'm sure of it" he thought as he nudged the dragon with his foot. Seeing it wasn't going to move again he turned his attention back to the group, shooting on last glance at the stone. The other still seemed to stunned to even speak, that is until one man let out a cheer. In that instant a great tension seemed to lift of the group and everyone erupted into cheers and laughter. Aldrin tried to smile and join in the festivities but the whole situation was still so unsettling to him, that he remained of the side.

As the small party continued Aldrin was left to his own thoughts and musing, slowly walking back and forth trying to make sense of things.

"Something seriously strange is going on here" he thought. "Its almost like that voice is leading me somewhere, but I can't for the life of me figure out where.

Boss noticed his young friend off to the side and made his way over.

"What's wrong Aldrin aren't you excited we finally found the lost city" He said clasping a firm hand on the boys shoulder.

"I am its just a lot to take in you know" Aldrin said motioning to the towering structures all around them.

"Yeah that it is. I just wish you're father was here to see this." He said with a faraway look. Aldrin shoot him a weak smile.

"Yeah its was his dream right?" Aldrin said casting his gaze downwards. No matter how many years passed it still hurt to talk about his parents. The pair lapsed into deep silence before Aldrin spoke again.

"Don't you think it's strange?" Boss looked up confused.

"Pardon?"

"Don't you think its strange." Aldrin continued that a city this big could be hidden for so long, I would think people would remember a place like this." Boss considered this for a moment before answering.

" You have a point I suppose, but you have to think just how old this place is. Its been hidden for so long most people just considered it some old folk tale or a legend rather than an actual place."

"I guess you're right, it just seems weird that's all" Aldrin conceded with a shrug.

"That's understandable" Boss said glancing back towards the main group "look I've got to get back to the others there itching to start exploring this place. Do you want to come with us?

"Yeah I'm ready" Boss wasn't kidding when he said the group was anxious to get going. They were positively ecstatic with find. As soon as Boss gave the word and a few guidelines they were off crawling over every inch of the expansive city. Aldrin still remained somewhat distant still trying to sort through the situation in his head. He absently walked around glancing every once in a while down the many streets and alleyways. As he turned another corner a strange feeling washed over him, it felt almost as if the very air around him wash trying to crush him under its weight. He felt something tugging at him urging him forwards, and before he could stop himself his feet began moving on their own. It was then that Boss and the rest of the group rounded the corner.

"Hey Aldrin where are you going?" He called to the boys retreating figure. Aldrin looked back at him with a pleading look.

"I'm not sure myself, something's just telling me to go this way. The others didn't question him and simply followed him down the path. After a few minutes of walking they came to a large gate that seemed to lead underground. As he came closer the same dark feeling he got from the temple in his dream radiated from finally he doorway. The others came in from behind him examining the many marking emblazoned on the door.

"Does anyone else feel that?" Aldrin asked finally. The others looked at him confused.

"Feel what Aldrin?" One of the men asked.

"That dark feeling coming from down there" he said pointing to the stairs leading down into the darkness.

" I think your nerves are getting to you I don't feel anything" Boss said looking down the steps as well. One of the men next to him disagreed.

"No the boy's right there's some kind of presence down there."

"Well there only one way to find out what's down there" Boss said starting down the steps. Most of the group looked fairly apprehensive but they eventually followed suit. Aldrin took another glance down into the darkness.

"I have to know for sure" he thought to himself as he started down. As they descended into the darkness the small stone fixtures on the walls flickered to life as they walked past casting a dim glow down the stairway.

"This place gives me the creeps." one of the younger members in the group said.

"Yeah I know the feeling, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come down here after all." The second in command said glancing at the ghostly stone fixtures on wall. Boss turned towards him with an incredulous look on his face.

"Don't tell me your scared of a little cave" he joked. His friend bristled at the comment.

"I ain't scared I'm just starting to get that bad vibe Aldrin was talking about earlier." he countered.

"Well most people get that feeling when exploring old ruins" Boss explained "Still its amazing isn't it to think cities were this complex thousands of years ago." Up ahead the group could see the bottom. "Finally were at the end we must be a mile underground by now." As the group came off the bottom step they were amazed by what they saw. The room they were in was a massive hollowed out cavern its domed shaped ceiling stretched high above their heads. The same glowing stones which lined the stairs were growing all over the ceiling casting their dim light across the cavern. In the center was the same stone temple Aldrin had seen in his dream.

As soon as Aldrin's laid eyes in the temple his breath hitched in his throat, preventing him from forming a coherent sentence. The dark aura from earlier seemed to roll off the temple in waves. The others seemed oblivious to it, enamored with the intricate statues lining the stairway.

"Would you look at that" Boss said walking closer to the temple. "Who would have thought something like this would be so far underground." He made a move to ascend the staircase when Aldrin stopped him.

"Wait" he called out horrified at how panicked his own voice sounded. Boss turned around and looked Aldrin square in the eye. Aldrin felt a little sheepish now that everyone was looking at him.

"I… uh, well I don't think we should go in there something's not right about it." Boss walked over and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

" I'm sure there nothing wrong with this place, its been abandoned for over a thousand years." Despite his reassuring statement Boss was still slightly concerned. In all the years he had known him, he had come to notice that Aldrin wasn't one to outwardly show fear or anxiety. The fact that he was so worked up about something was unsettling to say the least. Aldrin seemed to take some assurance in the old mans words.

"Your right its probably just my imagination" Boss smiled at him and continued up the steps. Internally however Aldrin he was practically screaming. He didn't know how to convey to the others what he saw without them thinking he was completely insane. He wanted to yell, scream at them, urging them to come back but he forced himself to remain quiet. Boss and the others were now at the at the top of the stairs waving for him to come up. Aldrin heaved a ragged sigh before making his way up as well.

One thing he noticed was how much more detailed the statues lining the stairway were hear than in his dream. At the top Boss and the others were already exploring the landing. The onyx dragon was still etched on the floor snaking and stretching itself across the landing ending at the stone door. The last statue above the door casts its dark shadow over Aldrin as he came up. He glanced at the rest of the group to see them to engrossed in their work to notice him. Aldrin glanced back at the stone door deep in thought.

"There's no doubt about it, this is the same place but why would my dream lead me here. The door itself was firmly sealed shut and there was no clear switch or lever around to open it. He paused and glanced down at his hand.

"I wonder" he thought remembering his dream. Slowly he raised his hand and placed it on the cool surface. A slight jolt run up his arm leaving a slight tingling sensation in his arm, but other than that nothing else happened. No titanic explosions or massive flashes of light accompanied it. Just as he was about to pull his hand away a powerful surge ran down his arm, from underneath his palm a soft light highlighted the immediate area around his hand. The light shot outwards snaking along the thin lines etched in the surface before into the wall. A loud click reverberated across the cavern as if some kind of lock had opened. Aldrin jumped back as the lurked forward, another loud clang rang out and the door slowly rose up. Boss and the others were already behind Aldrin by the time the door was fully opened.

"Way to go Aldrin!" Boss said giving him a hearty pat on the back. Aldrin gave him a weak smile as he stared down the dark corridor. As Boss took a step inside the several crystals down the hallway lit up.

"Wow I've never seen anything like this before" Boss breathed as he walked farther in. The rest of the group seeing it was fairly safe ventured in as well.

"Be careful these places are usually full of traps" Boss said over his shoulder, the others nodded and pushed onward. As they moved farther down the corridor the noticed the temperature began to drop.

Finally they came to what appeared to be the center. The center room was designed like an extravagant hall, eloquent statues adorned the sides. In between the columns were several well crafted statues of various figures. The most amazing thing however was in the center of room. A large crystal was fixed in the center of the room floating a few feet above off the ground. The crystal gave off an eerie light that bathed room in an ethereal light. Aldrin felt his pulse quicken beads of sweat began to form on his brow.

"Why do I feel like, is it this room?" He took a closer look at the floating crystal and noticed something strange inside. Upon closer inspection he gasped and withdrew several feet. The others noticing his alarm rushed to his side what was wrong. Inside the crystal was a figure with what appeared to be two large wings protruding from its back. The wings were draped across the front of the figure obscuring their view. A tense silence descended over the group.

"What in the world is that?" One of the man said. Aldrin hardly heard him, his entire body felt like it had been drenched in ice water. His entire body locked up and his breath came out in strangled gasp. Even though the strange figure remained trapped it still felt like it was reaching out threatening to pull him in. He stumbled back a look of genuine look of fear etched across his face.

"What's wrong Aldrin?" Boss asked startled, glancing between the frightened boy and the frozen figure.

"We have to get out of here" he stammered, his voice coming across strained. "Something not right about that thing" The others in the group looked inclined to agree.

"The boys right something's evil about this place." One of the older men said. Boss took a hard glance at his companions worried faces.

"Alright lets go then." The group turned to leave when a sickening crack reverberated across the chamber. They whirled around to see a large crack running down the length of the crystal. Several other cracks began forming along the surface at alarming rate. The crystal began to shake, and the temperature in the room dropped dramatically. Some people bolted for the door but a thick layer of ice formed over the doorway impeding their progress. The crystal was shaking faster now and more angry cracks appeared on its surface. Finally with a deafening roar the crystal shattered and a dense fog spread across the room. There was a general shout of panic from the group as the dense fog made it impossible to see farther than five feet in front of them.

Aldrin's body kicked into overdrive as he drew his blade and crouched into a ready stance. His eyes darted back and forth searching for whatever was in the room with them now. A small shift behind him caused him to whirl around, his blade poised at the offenders throat. He glanced to see it was only one of the men in his group. The man held his hands up and a small whimper escaped his mouth. The fire in Aldrin's eyes and he removed his blade from his throat.

"Sorry about that" he said stepping back. The man nodded and massaged his throat. Just as Aldrin was beginning to relax a piercing scream tore through the air. Throwing caution to the wind he rushed towards the source of the sound, only to trip over something. He turned around to see what he hit and his blood ran cold. There on the ground was the withered husk of one of the explorers, his body stiff and dry looking as if he had just wasted away in the desert. His still open eyes were staring forward with a look of utmost fear.

Aldrin shut his eyes and turned away feeling sick. The man from before had followed him not wanting to be left alone in here now starred slack jawed at the withered corpse. Aldrin winced as the man turned his dull, lifeless eyes towards him. It seemed all of this was just to much for him to take in and his mind couldn't handle it. He tried to say something to console the man when he heard a laugh. The laugh was light and lofty, but it seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. He raised his sword again readying himself for any attacks. The was another light giggle and he saw a shadow slink across the fog.

"Where are you?" he growled backing up still searching for his mysterious assailant. Then the man standing was yanked into the air as if by some invisible thread. He let out a bloodcurdling scream as he was disappeared into the mist where his screams were abruptly cut short. Aldrin cursed, his eyes darting back and forth. For a moment there was silence before an object came whizzing out of the fog towards him. He jumped back just in time as the object crashed down by his feet. Glancing down his heart fell, there was the same man who had disappeared moments ago suffering the same fate as his comrade before him. Another giggle came through the fog sending a chill down his spine. His muscles tightened as fear began to rise in the pit of his stomach.

The hairs on the back stood on end as he felt a presence behind him. He spun around bringing his blade down on his attacker only to have it knocked from his hand by a vicious strike. The sword spun into the distance before disappearing into the mist. He jumped back trying to put some distance between him and his attacker. He glanced hoping to get a look at the figure but the fog seemed to grow thicker making it impossible.

"What are you?" he snapped slowly backing up until he ran into one of the columns. There was another peal of laughter but this time it was much more dark and sinister. As panic began to take hold of him, he remembered he still had his water skin so he wasn't completely defenseless. However before he had a chance to capitalize on it, he found himself face to face with a pair of gleaming red eyes. The last thing he heard was a sinister laugh before his world was enveloped in light.

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So what do you guys think good, bad? Any reviews are welcome, seriously if i'm doing something wrong let me know so I can make it better in the future.


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